Technology Briefing | Deals: Qualcomm To Acquire Iridigm

Published: September 10, 2004

Qualcomm, the world's second-largest maker of chips that power mobile telephones, will buy the Iridigm Display Corporation for $170 million to acquire its patented technology for cellphone screens. The price covers the 86 percent of Iridigm that Qualcomm does not already own, the company said yesterday. Iridigm's so-called iMod technology is cheaper to make and uses less battery power than existing liquid crystal-display, or L.C.D., screens, said Qualcomm, which is based in San Diego. The technology allows manufacturers to make lower-priced phones with more features like color screens that display pictures and video. Demand for cellphones with color screens and features like cameras lifted global shipments 37 percent, to $163.7 million during the second quarter, the research company IDC said. Qualcomm makes wireless-phone chips and sell licenses for the use of its patented code-division multiple-access, or C.D.M.A., technology for transmitting phone calls. Shares of Qualcomm rose 14 cents to close at $39.65.